CEHow did you begin the project ‘Siem Riep’?

MRThe project continues my interest in the affects of globalisation, which began with ‘Amulet world’ – a project which looked commercialisation of Buddhism in Thailand. I went to visit Siem Riep, Cambodia, as part of the Angkor Photographic Workshop, and originally had a view to explore the juxtaposition between the rapidly rising city and the structures and areas of the past.

However, after a few days, I ventured towards the edge of the town and came across a long stretch of unfinished highway that overlooked an expanse of empty fields alongside a lake and an old ferris wheel. It is a place where the locals spent parts of their day, from performing morning exercises and enjoying family picnics, to groups of friends drinking at dusk and meetings between teenager lovers. I was immediately drawn to the surreal setting and distinctive mood of the area, which became the backbone of the project, leading to a very different kind of visual from what I had set out from the start.

CEYou mentioned that your original plan for this time in Cambodia was to ‘explore the juxtaposition between the rapidly rising city and the structures and areas of the past’ – do feel like you have still captured this, but in a different manner to that which you originally envisaged?

MRIn a sense yes, and the end result is certainly different to what I originally had in mind, but whenever beginning a project it is natural to have set ideas as a starting point.

However, I’m always conscious and aware that the process of each project involves discovery, as new experiences and encounters add new dimensions and new ways of seeing things. This is often what makes a project so exciting. If I had followed my original intention, I may have produced another series of cliché images.

CEThe project focuses on an area in a state of transition – will this unfinished highway be completed? What impact do you think this will have on this area?

MRI really do not know the answer to this question, one can only wait and see. Building and planning in Asia, especially within developing regions, often seems haphazard – partly down to the lack of planning and corruption. There are many examples of these dead infrastructures in Bangkok where I am from, particularly the ‘Hopewell project’. This network of elevated rail lines became a series of abandoned structures and concrete pillars since the economic bubble burst in 1997. There is an air of melancholy about the incomplete buildings – lingering reminders of failed visions.

In some ways this is like the highway in Siem Reap, except in this instance it has become embraced by the locals, and begins to take on new meaning and a new function. I’ll be interested in returning to Siem Reap in the next few years to see whether the highway has been changed and whether it is still being used by people in the same way.

CEIs this project part of a bigger body of work? If so, how are you planning on expanding it?

MRThematically the project progresses my body of work and my interest in globalisation, which I have already begun to expand by exploring the iconic 1.2km wooden bridge in Amarapura, an area that just off the main town of Mandalay in Burma. This series has a very similar mold to Siem Reap, a quiet, melancholy piece where time seems to flow at a slower pace. I have also started shooting in Bangkok, since I am now based here, but the project is still in its early stages. Bangkok being much bigger in term of sheer size of its landscape and populations and the mood is much more energetic, which I feel requires a different approach. There are so many interesting things in this city to explore, so I am letting the style and aesthetic approach gradually emerge.

CECan you tell us about the photograph Untitled XVI that we have chosen for an edition? Is there a story behind this image?

MRThis ‘Untitled’ image was shot along the empty highway that had first captured my attention. Away from the tourist commerce and shopping districts, one felt time slow as the noise of the city dissolved – possibly a reason why people gathered there in the late afternoon. The couple had a particular impact on me because although seemingly at ease amongst the litter and dry grass, they looked completely out of place – the bright pink cap, green shirt, and the motorbike, all gave subtle indications of the town that lay in the distance, ever expanding and encroaching on this ‘nowhere’ land.